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A teenager from the Land Down Under has appeared in court after reportedly defacing a large blue sculpture of a legendary being by affixing plastic eyes to it.

Amelia Vanderhorst, 19 years old, appeared via phone at the local court in South Australia on that day, charged with one count of property damage.

Officials commented at the time of the recent event, the municipal authorities said that CCTV footage captured a individual putting fake eyes on the sculpture, which residents have dubbed the “Cast in Blue”.

The accused made no plea and told the judge she was unwell, as reported by media sources, with the magistrate recommending her to find a legal representative before her upcoming hearing in December.

A day after the reported event, the local mayor said that restoration to the much-loved community sculpture would be expensive as the adhesive eyes were impossible to be detached without harming the art piece.

“This wilful damage to a cherished public artwork is inappropriate and disrespectful,” City of Mount Gambier mayor said in mid-September. “It is not harmless fun, it is costly - it is also frustrating to those members of our society who have welcomed Cast in Blue.”

She said the local government would seek the “substantial” repair costs from those accountable for the damage.

At the time the artwork was initially suggested, it drew varied responses from the area residents due to its cost and appearance.

Priced at A$136,000 ($89,000; £68,000), the sculpture depicts a mythical megafauna, with the creators influenced by an ancient anteater-like marsupial found in nearby caverns that was “massive, lumbering and fascinating”.